


Odds The Gods Would Put Us All In One Spot

by Flora_Obsidian



Series: 177(6) Inspired [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: 177(6) verse, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Multi, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:09:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flora_Obsidian/pseuds/Flora_Obsidian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><strong>Lagayette:</strong> how did you manage thomas and alex on a regular basis</p><p><strong>Gwar:</strong> Is this a question relevant to your current situation?</p><p><strong>Lagayette:</strong> unfortunately</p><p><strong>Gwar:</strong> I kept a flask in each pocket.<br/>You can't legally drink, and Columbia is a dry college.<br/>I offer my most sincere condolences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Odds The Gods Would Put Us All In One Spot

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Need So Much Assistance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7240600) by [ashilrak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashilrak/pseuds/ashilrak). 



> Columbia does not, according to their website, have offer quads as housing options, but the premise of this is the founding fathers reincarnated as college students, so I'm allowed some creative liberties. Dedicated to my friend currently moving into his dorm room today, though he will never know that this story exists.
> 
> \- - -
> 
> In which everyone is emotional; it's move-in day.

Deep breath in. Hold. Slow breath out. Repeat.

Deep breath in. Hold. Slow breath out. Repeat.

Deep breath in.

“ _Holy fucking shit._ ”

They were all rooming in Jones Hall. They were _all rooming_ in the same place- at the same _college_ \- with Washington (Warner!) teaching- they were _all there_. He'd known this for weeks, now, and he still wasn't over it.

There wasn't anyone else around yet, not from his group of friends (and political rivals, and lovers, and one had-been murderer, but _anyway_ ), and the other students bringing in their things and saying goodbye to their parents were shooting odd looks toward Alex, who was glancing down at his phone four or five times a minutes and all but vibrating on the spot.

A middle-aged woman passed by him, walking toward the elevator as he whispered curses under his breath, and glared at him. Alex, who cared about a great many things, who had trouble _not_ caring about things, did not care. There was one thing and one thing only important to him right now, and-

His phone buzzed. This was seven times in the last minute; new record.

 **Lagayette:** I am here at the building  
what's our room number again

 **Jdotlaw:** how could u forget

 **Tailorsoldierspy:** it's 177

It took a few tries to type the numbers incorrectly, between the shaking of his hands and frantically looking around for Paul, but he got there eventually.

 **Adotfightme:** 1 7 7 (6)

Of course, Burr (ew) had to ruin it by reminding him of the fact that they were literally next door neighbors, but less so than he normally ruined things just by virtue of existing. It would take a _lot_ to put him in a bad mood, _Marie-Joseph-whatever-the-hell-the-rest-of-your-names-are de Lafayette, where the_ _ **fuck**_ _are you_ -

 **Adotfightme:** where are u I must SEE u

 **Lagayette:** WHERE ARE YOU MON AMI

 **Adotfightme:** I am currently in the hallway with all of my possessions

Partial truth, he was in the hallway with maybe half of his possessions; there were a bunch of books he'd needed to leave behind on St. Croix, and he had been devastated about leaving them and wondered how he was going to afford to replace them, and _then_ he'd gotten an email from someone he knew telling him that they'd paid for all the books to be shipped up to him along with some other things he hadn't been able to take, and that the package would arrive just before the start of term, and he'd maybe spent the next several minutes crying.

 **Jdotlaw:** is that supposed to be a warning about the scene ur making or a comment as to how few things you actually own

Alex stuck out his tongue at the phone and made to reply, only for Paul to get there first.

 **Lagayette:** I would love to say it's the first, but considering I'm looking right at him i'd be lying

His head snapped up. Paul was at the end of the hall, texting with one hand ( _how_ , holy shit, those nails were like claws), tugging along a chain of suitcases with the other, managing to look graceful the entire time. Their whole face lit up in a smile when they saw Alex staring at them, and they waved with the hand their phone was in.

Alex dropped a thirty pound box of books on his foot in shock, swore loudly, then raced (limped) down the hallway to tackle them in a hug.

“Marie-Joseph _Paul_ something something du something else de Lafayette, I am so _fucking glad_ to see you again!”

“Ow- Alex, _mon ami_ , you are tiny, how are you this close to breaking my ribs?”

“I'm not short, and I'm always ready to fight someone, and you're hugging _me_ just as tightly, so shut the fuck up.”

They laughed. It sounded a little watery. “Fair enough. But you are short. You're a full head shorter than me, _look_ at yourself.”

“I'm not _Jefferson_ , I don't carry a mirror with me everywhere.”

That got another laugh, stronger than the first, and Alex grinned into the fabric of their dress. They reluctantly pulled apart a few moments later, Paul carefully wiping their eyes without smudging their makeup, Alex scrubbing his hands over his face. He hadn't planned on turning into an emotional mess, but he didn't plan on a lot of things happening in his life, and they had all happened regardless, so.

“Did you get _taller_? I think you got taller. That's not fair.”

“I'm wearing heels,” they responded, grinning. “ _You_ got shorter.”

“I'll still fight you.”

“Yes, I know.” The grin turned wry. “I missed you.”

“I- _shit_ , no, I'm crying again- missed you too.”

Their phones buzzed at the same time. Paul sighed at the message. Alex started cursing under his breath again.

“I'm gonna _fight_ him.”

“No, you aren't.”

“What am I going to do if I'm not going to fight him? Paul, _what am I going to do_?”

“ _You_ are going to help me bring my suitcases into the room, and then you are going to help me unpack, and you are not going to fight him.”

“But he's gonna be _right there_...”

“No, Alex! _Non_ , Alex. That's 'no' in French.”

“I speak French?”

“Good, that means you understand.”

“Yes, but-”

* * *

 **Mamjer:** I'll be there in about twenty minutes can someone keep him out of trouble until then

 **Tomjemmings:** I've literally been fine up until this point why do i need u here

 **Colderthancold:** I think it might have to do with the fact that you're about to be breathing the same air as your self-declared political rival

* * *

“I'm going to be responsible for the _both_ of you for twenty minutes.” Paul stopped in the middle of carrying a suitcase, blocking off the doorway while Alex struggled behind them with a larger one; they stared at the wall opposite them with a growing sense of dread. “I need to speak to George, I need to know how he did it.”

“You're blocking the door-”

“What did I do to deserve having the two of you inflicted on me?”

“I can't tell if you're joking or not, Laf-”

“This is not going to end well.”

“Paul, _move_.”

“Hm? Oh, _désolé_.”

“ _Sure_ you are.”

* * *

 **Lagayette:** how did you manage thomas and alex on a regular basis

 **Gwar:** Is this a question relevant to your current situation?

 **Lagayette:** unfortunately

 **Gwar:** I kept a flask in each pocket.  
You can't legally drink, and Columbia is a dry college.  
I offer my most sincere condolences.

* * *

Paul made a face at the less-than-helpful answer as they pulled their third and final suitcase into their dorm room. They were met with the sight of Alex staring at his phone, shaking slightly (which he had been doing this entire time, making it less of a concern) and starting to hyperventilate (which he had _not_ been doing this entire time, making it much more of a concern). They quickly went to check the messages on their phone.

 **Jdotlaw:** also less than an hour until I get to hold you in my arms again <3

 **Adotfightme:** <3

 **Morelikedamnilton:** same <3

 **Adotfightme:** <3  
panic

 **Angelsky:** what now

 **Adotfightme:** i'm gonna be in the same space with both betsey and john im going to die

 **NelsonMa:** you'll be fine

Well, that explained it. They pushed Alex over to sit on one of the beds, just in case he passed out, and typed back.

 **Lagayette:** he's hyperventilating

 **Morelikedamnilton:** make him stop

 **Lagayette:** how?/???

 **Tomjemmings:** thomas jefferson to the rescue

They swore and got to their feet, hoping to lock the door, but it was too late. There was the sound of a door slamming open (the noise just loud enough it sounded suspiciously like the door to the dorm next to them... which it was), footsteps. A gangly teenager about the same height as Paul, hair a mess of dark curls around his face, dressed in jeans and a garishly purple t-shirt, fell through the door, smirked at them, and froze when they saw Alex.

Alex sucked in a breath, glared, and went back to his phone, lips pressed together in a thin line.

Paul breathed a sight of relief.

 **Lagayette:** omfg thomas is eyeing up alex hardcore

 **Morelikedamnilton:** i mean who wouldn't

 **Mamjer:** keep at least a two feet distance between them I am almost there

 **Tailorsoldierspy:** are you guys ready to get out-fITTED  
we're running late but we're ON OUR WAY

Alex twitched where he was standing, but still said nothing. Paul idly wondered if he'd passed through the door to their room and into a parallel universe.

 **Adotfightme:** my cOAT  
also thomas' presence is upsetting me but I don't want to say anything to break the semi-peaceful silence

 **Angelsky:** omg you've matured

Thomas finally snapped out of whatever stupor he had been in to take his phone out of his pocket. Paul looked between him and Alex and slowly sat down, unwilling to do anything that might upset whatever weird balance was going on.

 **Tomjemmings:** hamilton is so tiny  
I kept telling myself you guys had to be exaggerating  
but you weren't

 **Adotfightme:** does that count as breaking the peaceful silence @lagayette

Paul glared at Alex. Alex had moved from staring intently at his phone to staring intently at Thomas, who stared intently back.

* * *

 **Lagayette:** they are quiet and nobody has died and it's still so stressful

 **Gwar:** Why do you think I only accepted two terms in office?

* * *

 **Lagayette:** NO. IT DOES NOT.

 **NelsonMa:** are you guys literally standing in one room just eying each other up while texting

 **Adotfightme:** Yes.

 **Lagayette:** if awkward silence is what it takes to prevent violence I support it

From the hallway, there was the sound of rushed footsteps and someone coughing, and then another student appeared in the door, phone in hand, looking rather worried and out of breath. He took in the scene; worry faded to confusion (with a bit of worry underneath).

Paul waved. “James?” they mouthed.

James nodded slowly. His gaze went to Alex, then to Thomas, then back to Alex, then back to Thomas. Everything was still silent.

 **Mamjer:** they're standing in a triangle an alexander just has a pile of things around his feet and thomas is rly fuckign tall and fit??? and he's just staring at alex??? and paul (that's so weird to type out), they're just like, chilling but also nervously eying the two??

 **Jdotlaw:** about thirty minutes left

where is our room anyway?

Paul glanced toward the door, then smiled as they typed out a reply.

 **Lagayette:** we're on the first floor, hallway on the right, you'll see james standing in the hallway with his arm halfway reached out towards thomas

James glared at them. Paul just smiled back. To their left, Alex let out a short puff of air through his nose that might have been a laugh if he'd been willing to disturb the quiet.

 **Mamjer:** I'm not? Doing that???

 **Adotfightme:** yes u r

 **Mamjer:** you and john are going to be so much worse and you know it

 **Adotfightme:** of course we are I have a reputation to maintain and I need to count his freckles and there is very little that is going to prevent me from following through with that

 **NelsonMa:** that's super cute and I <3 it

 **Angelsky:** @nelsonma where's ur room

 **NelsonMa:** first floor, hallway on the left

 **Adotfightme:** I'm coming to you

Paul had their suspicions as to who “NelsonMa” was, fueled by how determined she and the Skylars were to keep Alex from meeting her yet, and they agreed that Alex probably shouldn't go into a meeting with the woman who had once been Maria Reynolds without any warning. Before Alex could even fully stand up, they'd grabbed him by the ponytail and yanked him back down.

He flushed bright red.

 **Tomjemmings:** his fACE

 **Mamjer:** he's trying really hard to not make any noises it's actually hilarious

The next several minutes were some bizarre mix of awkward and hilarious. Paul typed out messages with one hand, kept a solid grip on Alex's hair with the other, and pondered what people might think if they could see what was happening: the founding fathers of the United States, reincarnated as a bunch of queer college kids, none of whom were white, standing around and texting while the first secretary of the treasury tried desperately not to make any noises that might be construed as sexual.

...Paul resigned themselves to the fact that this was their life, now.

 **Mamjer:** he made the noise  
thomas went stock still  
I think that's the only time I've seen that happen

Alex set down his phone, which they should have taken as a warning, except they _didn't_ , for some ridiculous reason, and were therefore caught by surprise at the sudden shove. Alex scrambled to his feet, freed, but too quickly- he lost his balance as Paul made another grab to keep him from escaping, the result of which was that they wound up almost hitting him in the neck instead of grabbing him again, and the result of _that_ was a typical Hamiltonian rant, words spilling out too fast to catch and irate hand gestures and a decent amount of pacing. The only difference between now and two hundred years ago was the updated language. Thomas looked relieved at the familiarity.

 **Tomjemmings:** I do find the desire to throttle his neck severely lessened now that I see how smol he is

* * *

“Yes, we're here!” Peggy bounced in her seat, outwardly more excited to be at the college than either of her two sisters. Lizzie had eyes for her phone and only her phone, glued to the screen and the words of one Alex Miller until they could finally park and she could see him in person. Angel had her attention split between her father, her phone, and the outside world; whatever the hell was going on in Room 177 sounded hilarious, but her father kept interrupting with the same speech he'd given five times in the forty minute drive, reminding them to be safe and keep up their grades and he was so _proud_ \- and she loved her dad, she really did, and she was going to miss him, but he hadn't stopped _talking_.

...Prep for dealing with Alex, she supposed.

 **Colderthancold:** @angelsky are you guys in the really fancy looking crossover

 **Angelsky:** yeeee

 **Colderthancold:** I think I'm behind you

“Hey, Lizzie?”

“Mm?”

“Burr's in the car behind us.”

Her sister stiffened in her seat, eyes narrowing. “I'm going to fight him.”

Angel grinned.

* * *

Maria was sprawled out on the bed, her luggage stuffed in one corner, her phone in her hands. She hadn't bothered getting out sheets or blankets, too tired from dragging her suitcases from one end of the building to the other.

“Hi, sorry, is this-? Room 104, right?”

There was another student hovering in the doorway, suitcases behind her; she was tall, elegant in an imposing kind of way, winged eyeliner sharp enough to cut something. Maria rolled over to face her.

“Yeah...?”

The girl flashed a bright smile, started bringing her things in. “Oh, good! I was supposed to be in a different building, and then something came up, there was this whole mess with room assignments, but as far as I know, this is where I'm supposed to be now. Name's Theodora Bercer, but everyone calls me Dori.”

She stuck out her hand. Maria reached up to shake it. “Maria Nelson. We're in a quad, the other two are tangled up in the traffic trying to get here.”

“Oh, yeah, that was a mess. 'Course, everyone's so eager to actually get to the building that they don't use any of the parking lots available...”

“I know! I was walking faster than some of the cars when I got here, and that was with three suitcases.”

* * *

Aaron stared out the window of his mother's car. Gospel music was playing on the radio; his parents were wishing him all the best and tossing out questions they had already asked multiple times during the course of the drive- did he pack xyz, did he remember this or that, when did he get out for Thanksgiving? Their hovering could be annoying sometimes, but there was still a warm feeling in his chest, knowing that they were only acting that way because they cared.

Still, he was eager to find his room. His phone had been buzzing non-stop with messages, most of which he had been ignoring so he wouldn't be rude to his family, but last he'd read, Alex and Thomas were standing in the same room as one another in awkward silence, and no one had been murdered yet, and he wanted to find out what happened next.

There was a lull in conversation. He took his phone from his pocket to scan through what he'd missed.

 **NelsonMa:** @angelsky @morelikedamnilton omg we're in a quad? And some random girl just showed up???

 **Angelsky:** we're definitely in a triple

 **NelsonMa:** not anymore we're not

 **Mamjer:** do we know her?

 **NelsonMa:** she goes by Dori? Last name's Bercer – ring any bells? She didn't recognize me

 **Morelikedamnilton:** at least not on sight

 **NelsonMa:** tru

 **Lagayette:** is dori short for anything?

 **NelsonMa:** she said it's for Theodora

Past that, Alex had typed something obnoxious about him being not allowed happiness, but Aaron couldn't read it. The world had suddenly gone blurry as he blinked back unexpected tears.

 **NelsonMa:** @adotfightme @angelsky I don't know who u think dori might be but she said she lived in the same time/place we did and that she was married to a british officer and cheated on him with some american government official lol

He didn't remember much- didn't really remember anything of his past life, even most of what he knew about him and Alex was through books and documentaries- but he was dancing with a woman, and he was holding something so _small_ in his arms, sitting at the bedside of a faceless figure he could not recognize or describe but knew he loved all the same, and he was sitting at the bedside of a faceless figure and the lamplight turned her yellow skin more jaundiced-

 **Angelsky:** well at least she'll fit right in  
Scandalous Women TM

He wasn't known for making impulse decisions. He was reserved (and had evidently been much the same in his past life, if his biography was anything to go by), he was calm and collected, he could keep a level head in a chaotic situation, he liked to evaluate what was happening around him before moving to act.

“I'm sorry, I need to go-”

He was out of the car and sprinting toward their residence hall before he had fully registered making the decision to do so.

* * *

Thomas and Alex weren't close to murdering each other, which was good. The awkward silence had been broken a while ago, but Paul had managed to keep everyone distracted by making them help unpack, and it was only a matter of time until Lizzie showed up and Alex would no longer remember the presence of one Thomas Jemmings in his dorm room.

 **Jdotlaw:** Lizzie wasn't scandalous

 **Angelsky:** I mean, maybe not the way you initially think but u forget that she actually took control of her own life after her husband's death

Footsteps from outside in the hallway, and a rushed, “Sorry, excuse me!”

“...I did not know that there was actual affection in this relationship.”

James looked at Thomas, who was looking at Alex and Lizzie (now making out in one corner of the room) with a vague expression of horrified curiosity. He imagined that there would be a similar expression on his own face if he could actually bring himself to look over, but really, even if he hadn't been ace, he wouldn't want to intrude on a moment like that.

“Should we... separate them...?” Thomas asked, still not looking away. It was unclear if he meant to ask Paul or James.

“I don't want this to escalate,” Paul said, texting furiously. “But I really don't want to try and get between them.”

“Well.” James looked over, quickly looked away. Thomas was still staring, that same expression on his face. “...I don't know.”

* * *

“So, would you, by any chance, have possibly been one Theodosia Prevost Burr in your past life?”

There wasn't really a way to ask these kinds of things casually, so Maria just went for it. Dori swung around to stare at her.

“How'd you know that?”

“There's a bunch of other people from our time period here.” Maria waved her phone in the air. “That's who I've been talking to. And I'm asking 'cause I'm pretty sure your husband is going to be here in less than a minute.”

“Aaron!” Dori's eyes went wide; she smiled, but she still looked a bit like she might cry. “Aaron? My husband, Aaron, he's _here_?”

Maria just handed her the phone, smiling back.

 **Angelsky:** so i've been watching ay-ay-ron in the rear view mirror and he just looked at his phone and then fuckIGN JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SPRINTED TO THE BUILDING

 **Tailorsoldierspy:** burr isn't allowed to have feelings or joy stop him

“Oh, my _god_ , it's really him!” Dori tossed the phone back, bouncing a bit in her excitement. “I didn't think- I mean, the average time between reincarnations is maybe sixty, seventy years? I figured he'd been born in the twenties or thirties, died toward the end of the century- hey, who said my husband doesn't deserve feelings or joy?” Her tone of voice shifted from bright and cheerful to quietly serious in the space of a sentence; she was glaring a little bit at the phone. “What's their room number? I need to have a word with them.”

“Well- you see, there's me, the Schuyler sisters, Madison, Jefferson, Lafayette, Mulligan, Hamilton, and Laurens all rooming in the same building, so... there's probably going to be a lot of that...?”

 **NelsonMa:** see I might if it weren't for the fact that dori might actually murder me like I get the impression from her that she is 100% capable of killing  
but in a hot way

* * *

“Please refrain from having sex until later. Preferably when we're not in the same room as you.”

James was attempting to reason with Alex and Lizzie, to little effect; the duties had fallen to him after Thomas' shrug and comment of “I'm not that motivated,” and Paul's initial refusal to do anything. Still, for reasons currently unknown to anyone, Thomas hadn't left the room.

“Madison, I am _apologizing_ to my _wife_.”

“That's not my name...?”

* * *

Frantic footsteps came from out in the hallway; Maria watched in confusion as someone raced past the door to their room, abruptly turned and raced back, and repeated the process so many times she started to lose count.

“Um...”

Dori looked up from where she was making her bed, saw the unknown person race by yet another time, and burst into laughter. From out in the hall, the footsteps came to a sudden halt, the brief silence followed by a crashing _thud_.

“Aaron, did you just run into the wall?”

“Theodosia...!”

 **NelsonMa:** I just watched a man run back and forth in front of this room like twenty times  
fuckign fraNTIC  
and dori just started laughing

 **Morelikedamnilton:** oh my god

 **NelsonMa:** anD HE JUST STOPPED DEAD AND FELL OVER FROM THE MOMENTUM

 **Angelsky:** at the sound of her laughter?  
If it wasn't burr I'd say that's adorable

 **NelsonMa:** and now he's just kind of kneeling at her feet and hugging her legs ???

* * *

John was tempted to go find wherever the girls were rooming just so he could see the mess that was evidently Aaron Alston, but he'd waited long enough to get away from his father at the car, and holy _shit_ he was going to see Alex and Lizzie again-

 **Shotshotshot:** how r u real life people

 **Mamjer:** we're historical figures who have had time to age and mature

-and he turned the corner, suitcases trailing along behind him. He could hear Alex's voice drifting down the hall, could see someone leaning in the door frame of one of the rooms in a vibrant shade of purple. He grinned at his phone, tapping something out before ditching his things and breaking into a run.

 **Jdotlaw:** and also stop giving any fucks  
an example of such behavior will be seen in approximately five seconds

 **Adotfightme:** ajdsbwoiedmc fhjb j-IERMFK 23 Y5U C29FMIVH MKN

He _might_ have knocked over Thomas on his way into the room, and if the ensuing crash was any indication, Thomas had fallen into James on the way down. Paul grinned and waved; Lizzie shoved Alex forward; Alex made a strangled noise, and then the two of them were clinging to one another.

Alex was a few inches shorter than him, just enough for him to bury his face into John's shoulder, for John to rest his chin on the top of Alex's head.

“I'm still _pissed_ at you for dying two hundred and thirty four years ago, understand? I'm gonna fight you.”

“Love you too.”

* * *

“When do you get out for Thanksgiving?”

“Monday before, Dad.”

“And you have everything-?”

“ _Yes_ , Dad.”

“I'm sorry, I know you're eager to leave- you'll know, if you have kids of your own, what this feels like...”

“We all had kids in our last life. Well, I only had one, but.”

“I had four kids. Lizzie had _eight_.”

“And we are forever in awe of her.”

There was a ton of traffic as people tried to bring their cars as close to the building as possible instead of going to any of the perfectly intact parking lots nearby, making everything drearily slow as a result. Of course, they really shouldn't be complaining, since they were doing the exact same thing. Angel waited impatiently as the line of cars inched along, slower than the foot traffic outside. Still, after many goodbyes and hugs and promises to call, she and Peggy were finally allowed out of the car, and they hurried toward her residence hall as fast as possible, juggling both her and Lizzie's luggage between them.

The dorm room was starting to get crowded. Maria, Aaron, and Dori were on the opposite side of the building, but that still left Thomas and James hovering off to one side, Paul watching Alex and John cling to one another, Lizzie watching them with a soft smile, and everybody's suitcases and other things piling up around them. Quads weren't exactly _small_ , but it was holding twice as many people as intended. Angel and Peggy squeezed their way in, opting to leave their own train of things in the hall for now.

Everyone's phones pinged at the same time with a dozen different ringtones. Paul squeaked when they read the messages.

 **Tailorsoldierspy:** I AM HERE AND I AM QUEER  
SOMEONE TELL ALEX I HAVE HIS GODDAMN JACKET

Alex, of course, was too busy holding John to care about his phone or the messages on it, but everyone else perked up noticeably.

“That's everyone, right?” Peggy asked, looking around.

“'Cept for Burr, since he's crying over his wife.”

“I think we'd all cry over our wives if we met them, Thomas.”

“...Fair enough.”

Lizzie looked away from Alex and John for a moment, gaze flitting across the crowded room. “Should someone go help Hercules? He's here to major in art or something, so he's probably carrying a lot more than any of us.”

Thomas just shrugged for a second time; James punched his shoulder. Paul went back to their phone for a moment. The room was once again filled with a multitude of noises.

 **Lagayette:** do u need assistance

 **Tailorsoldierspy:** I need so much assistance

 **NelsonMa:** I would assist but burr and dori haven't moved and they're in the doorway

 **Angelsky:** what do u mean they haven't moved

 **NelsonMa:** he's just like crying into her jeans and she's staring at him exasperated

 **Lagayette:** @tomjemmings @mamjer and I will assist

 **Tomjemmings:** I didn't sign up for this

Thomas made a face. Paul smiled serenely back, got to their feet, and tugged both him and James out of the room before they could protest.

* * *

Hercules grinned at the sight of Paul hurrying towards him, an irritated Thomas and a resigned James in tow. “Eyeliner game on _point_.”

“Isn't it? So much practice and mistakes, but so very worth it. Drop your things and hug me.”

“There's a sewing machine in one of these, I can't just-”

“ _Hugs_ , Mulligan!”

“We don't need to, right-”

“Just for that, _monsieurs_ , yes.”

“I am uncomfortable with this.”

“Shut up and enjoy the hug, Madison.”

“That's not my name, _Paul_.”

“You don't sound like you're enjoying the hug.”

James, who had wound up squished between Hercules and Paul (both of whom were much more enthusiastic about the situation) and Thomas (standing stiff as a board, but had gotten dragged in all the same), sighed.

* * *

Elsewhere in their residence hall, Dori finally managed to get Aaron to his feet and give him a proper hug. They were still in the doorway, though, so Maria just flopped back onto her bed and started to read.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr @floraobsidian !!


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